Ocean Acidification: Causes and Consequences (Update)

Of current anthropogenic CO2 emissions, about 30% is absorbed by the oceans, in response to the higher CO2 concentration of the atmosphere (Denman et al., 2007 in IPCC AR4). The net absorption by the oceans will stop when the equilibrium is restored at the ocean’s surface. This will only occur gradually after the atmospheric concentration ceases to rise.